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A Visual Compendium of Where Houston’s Neighborhood Names Come From

Budding internet etymologist and Albany High School senior Adam Aleksic is out with his latest annotated map (bigger version here), which points out the origins behind some of the Houston area’s most well-known neighborhood names. As you can see in the legend at the top right corner, the author makes a distinction between developers and people — both of which have left their marks in the region’s spacial vernacular. And of course, no map of Houston would be complete without its fair share of wet spots, too, which appear in the meanings behind 6 locations shown above: Lazybrook, Timbergrove, Spring Branch, River Oaks, Clear Lakes, and Denver Harbor.

Interesting map! I don’t think Braeswood neighborhood is named after the Braeswood Development Company; more likely it’s the other way around or they were named at the same time. I would think Braeswood is a play on the picturesque Scottish word “brae” (hillside, especially along a river) and the nearby Brays Bayou.